Anxiety In Young Children Resources & 12.20 Coffee With ‘Becca RSVP

To those parents who joined ‘Becca and myself last month in the Coffee with ‘Becca conversation “Talking About Anxiety in Young Children,” thank you for your wonderful insights, comments, and questions. Many of you offered interesting feedback as to what was helpful from the session and what you’d like to know more about. Some of the helpful bits included recognizing that when we push children into situations that they may not be ready for, this can produce some fears or anxieties for them. How we talk with them about their feelings and how we help them understand their feelings are good strategies to support their learning to manage their fears, as well as managing other strong emotions. You also indicated how helpful it is to hear the experiences of other parents.

After the presentation, most of the parents asked for some written resources as a follow up to the discussion, so I am attaching a few brief article links that I hope the whole P.A.W.S. Community will find useful.

Perhaps one of the most helpful pieces of information for parents can be found in the following article: How to Listen to What Kids Mean, Not What Kids Say. Not only do these ideas apply to helping understand if a child is afraid or anxious, but they also apply to the whole range of developmental issues that children face. By listening to what children might mean by their words, we can help them move closer to independent emotional regulation.

Several of you wanted to know more about managing challenging behaviors. Join us for our next conversation on Thursday, December 20th after morning drop-off when we will examine how to survive family gatherings and the break from the usual routines during the upcoming winter holiday/school break. Hint: Prevention is the key!

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P.A.W.S. (Preschool at Wellesley Schools) has been designated a developmentally appropriate, high quality program by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) through our participation in a national, voluntary, accreditation system designed to help early childhood programs meet high professional standards. Parents can feel confident in choosing a NAEYC accredited program for their child's preschool experience.

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